How Many Times Do I Have to Use Botox, for Permanent or Long Lasting Results?

Hi Priya,

  There is no permanent Botox or other form of injectable botulinum toxin. However, since Botox keeps you from being able to contract your facial muscles as much as you were able to before you had Botox, these muscles temporarily soften/weaken (atrophy).

I liken it to what one's leg looks like when a cast has been removed. If you've ever seen someone's leg after wearing a cast, the injured leg looks a lot thinner than the non-injured leg. This is because the muscles weaken (become "atrophic") because they haven't been able to contract for a prolonged period while the person was wearing the cast. This analogy applies to the muscles in the face and how they become thinner/atrophic over time with Botox injections. 

The first few times you get Botox, it typically lasts 3-4 months. However, if you are good about coming in for re-treatment (with more Botox injections) as soon as you start to notice those wrinkles reappearing, those facial muscles are then not able to get as strong as they were before you started getting Botox and the effects of the Botox will last longer. For example, some of my patients who have been getting Botox for years (and return for re-treatment as soon as their wrinkles start to reappear) can space their visits 9 or more months apart because those muscles are so "wimpy"/atrophic/weak. 

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Thank you for your question. Botox is not a permanent treatment. I would recommend doing a maintenance every 3 months to keep up the great result. I hope this helps.

Cosmetic Botox is intended to last 3-4 months. If you've never had a consult, I would suggest doing so with a reputable provider to understand how the treatment works, and to establish an affective plan for you long-term.

Botox and other neuromodulators such as Dysport and Xeomin work by disrupting the connection between the muscle where it is injected and the nerve that controls that muscle, resulting in relaxation of the muscle. For facial muscles, it takes about 3 months for the body to form new connections, so it is the healing time not the effect of the Botox that determines how long the effect lasts. Under-dosing will generally produce shorter duration of effect, but over-dosing will not prolong it.

Botox will not ever provide a permanent result. Most patients achieve 3-4 months of improvement from each treatment session. We have found that prolonged use of Botox can result in a requirement for smaller amounts of Botox over time. However, people need to maintain their Botox treatment schedule to maintain the result. I hope this information is helpful.

The effects of Botox is not permanent.  You can't do anything to make it permanent.  However, you can be treated every 3 to 4 months to maintain the results. 

Botox is a botulinum toxin used for dynamic or movement wrinkles, most commonly on the forehead, around the eyes, and around the mouth. It typically lasts 3-4 months, although some people find it lasts longer with repeated treatments. Botox can sometimes break bad habits, and I've seen people who after 3-4 treatments of Botox (e.g. 1-2 years), no longer seem to require Botox, at least in some areas. ~ Dr. Benjamin Barankin, Toronto Dermatology Centre.

Botox Cosmetic is intended to temporarily treat moderate to severe frown lines between the brows. 

The results typically last 3-4 months and with regular treatments over a period of a year, our practice has seen some longivity, as long as 6 months in between treatments.

 

Botox is not permanent. And many times we say "thank goodness" it isn't - like when you see other people post problem questions on this website! Some people will experience longer lasting effects if they get Botox again and again. Some will see it wear off sooner. Generally, Botox lasts 3-4 months.

The simple, official answer, is that Botox is a temporary treatment that usually lasts 3 or 4 months.  However, if you keep up with Botox you can get some long lasting benefit.  To explain, you need to understand that there are two types of wrinkles.  Dynamic (that change with facial expression) and static (those lines that are still there even when you are not making an expression).  Botox relaxes muscles and initially helps the dynamic wrinkles.  However the static wrinkles are often caused by the repeated action of the muscle causing folds in the skin.  If you keep the muscles relaxed, eventually the skin reforms and the static lines are often improved.  This is a long lasting effect, however it can take many treatments before you see that change.